Following the success of electric keyboards and guitars, innovators have created the electronic counterparts of other acoustic instruments, including drums.
In providing the electronic counterpart of acoustical drums, small circular resilient pads are often used to convert the strike of the player's drumsticks into electronic impulses that are in turn converted into synthesized drumlike sounds. These electronic drum pads represent one kind of electronic percussion instrument for creating the synthesized drum sounds. While electronic percussion instruments have the advantage of controlled output and the ability to produce a wide variety of sounds, they do not play the same as an acoustic drum. some performers and less than optimum for others. The disadvantages are primarily in the feel of the sticks as they strike the simulated drum surface and, in the drummer's motor memory in reaching for the usual placement and strike area of conventional acoustic sets.
In order to try and solve the problems associated with the feel of electric drums innovators have proposed use of acoustic drums equipped with electronic sensors as the triggering mechanism for a drum synthesizer. An example of a drum with an electronic sensor is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,000. As with acoustic drums, electronic and combination electronic-acoustic instruments are played most commonly in a set such as a tom, snare and base. Other percussion instruments having electronic signal output may accompany the stand drum set. The drum set is held on a rack that supports the devices within comfortable playing distance to the sitting or standing musician. When the instruments are of the electronic output kind the set is encumbered by rats nest of wires and cables that drape off the rack or stand and connect to the amplifier synthesizer console. The assembly is a mess and the wiring will often interfere with the players performance.